Dispensing carton with throat band element



Jan. 20, 1970 A. PRITCHARD DISPENSING CARTON WITH THROAT BAND ELEMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LEE ARTHUR PRITCHARD ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1970 A. PRITCHARD DISPENSING CARTON WITH THROAT BAND ELEMENT Filed Aug. 13, 1968 2 Sheets-Shaw 2 FIG.

, INVENTOR. LEE ARTHUR PRITCHARD BY ATTORNEY 3,490,646 DISPENSING CARTON WITH THROAT BAND ELEMENT Lee Arthur Pritchard, Easton, Pa., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 752,357 Int. Cl. A47f 1/08 US. Cl. 221310 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination shipping and dispensing package for cups and the like has a plurality of support means adapted to be pressed inwardly of the carton. A dispensing throat element having cup engaging means is supported on the carton by said support means in a position wherein the cup engaging means project into the carton to dispense individual cups from the carton.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a self-dispensing package for disposable cups and the like and more particularly to a cup dispensing carton or container for nested cups which serves as an effective shipping and sanitary storage receptacle for the cups and at the same time permits withdrawal of the cups one by one when the container is mounted in dispensing position.

Disposable cups made of paper, plastic or the like are usually nested in stacks and the latter shipped in elongated cardboard cartons. Usually the stack of nested cups is kept in the closed carton until ready for use at which time they may be transferred to a permanent type dispenser or merely removed from the carton and arranged in uncovered, open stacks to provide ready access. It is not always desirable to leave uncovered cups out in the open because of their exposure to unsanitary conditions. For example when using cups at fairs, sporting events, and the like, health officials may prefer or require that the cups be covered at all times until ready for use and that a dispenser be used. However, since many fairs, sporting events and the like frequently are of short duration, it tends to be impractical to install permanent-type 'dispensers and then shortly thereafter remove them. Accort ingly, there frequently arises a need for a shipping carton which can also be used as a dispenser, whereby all the cups will be covered until each individual one is removed for use.

According to the present invention, a throat element is adapted to be mounted on the cardboard shipping carton to facilitate dispensing cups directly from the cardboard carton in which they are shipped. The combined shipping and dispensing carton of the present invention protects the cups from outside unsanitary environmental conditions until each cup is dispensed therefrom.

Summary of the invention A combination shipping and dispensing package for cups and the like having brims at their uppermost ends comprises a carton having a plurality of support means adapted to be pressed inwardly of the carton. A dispensing throat element has side walls arranged in a configuration conforming generally to the transverse configuration of the carton and includes cup engaging means laterally of the side walls. The throat element is supported on the carton by said support elements in a disposition wherein said cup engaging means project laterally into the carton to engage said brims and dispense individual cups from the carton.

3,490,646 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of nested cups according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton in FIG. 1 shown supported on a wall and arranged for dispensing cups directly therefrom.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the throat element, in unassembled condition, prior to attachment to the carton shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2 but on a larger scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view of a corner of the carton and of a corner of the throat element as the latter is about to have its dispensing lug inserted within the corner opening of the carton.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, partially broken away and in section, looking substantially along the line 66 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a shipping and dispensing carton having an alternate dispensing throat element mounted internally within the carton.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the internal throat element used in the carton shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 1010 in FIG. 8 but on a larger scale.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a corner of the carton shown in FIG. 8 and corresponds to FIG. 7 in the main embodiment.

Description of the preferred embodiment FIG. 1 shows a shipping carton for a stack of nested cups C. The carton 20 has an elongated body 22 of generally square cross-section and includes closure flaps 24 and 26 at the top and bottom respectively, to completely close both ends of the carton body 22. The closure flaps 24 at the top may be of conventional construction. The closure flaps 26 at the bottom may also be conventional and are joined to the carton body 22 along weakened fold lines 28 to facilitate tearing off of such bottom flaps 26 when the carton is ready to be used as a dispenser. The weakened fold lines 28 may be obtained by making spaced cuts or perforations in the carton material along the fold lines 28.

The carton 20 as it appears completely closed in FIG. 1 is used as a shipping and storage container. When the cups C are ready to be used, the bottom closure flaps 26 are torn off along the fold lines 28 and a dispensing throat element 30 is mounted on the carton 20, as will be described, so that the carton may be mounted on a wall 32 and used as a dispenser. One of the sides of the carton body 22 may be provided with a perforation or reinforced eyelet 34 to receive a nail, or other support adapting the carton to be suspended or otherwise mounted on the Wall 32.

The carton is provided with four support elements 36, one in each of its corners. Each of the support elements 36 is formed by a pair of cutlines 38, 39 and a pair of fold lines 40, 41. The pair of cutlines 38, 39 converge and are jointed to one another at the corner of the carton. Similarly, the pair of fold lines 40, 41 converge and are joined to one another at the corner of the carton but at a location longitudinally displaced from the juncture of the cutlines 38, 39. The air of cutlines 38 and 39 and fold lines 40 and 41 are in turn joined to one another at 42 and 43 respectively, thereby to define a four sided support element 36. If desired, the cutlines 38, 39 may be initially formed of spaced cuts, perforations or other forms of weakness adapting such lines to be readily severed for reasons to be described.

When the carton is used as a shipping container, the four support elements 36 are disposed in the four planes of the body of the carton as shown in FIG. 1 to completely close the carton. When the carton is ready to be used as a dispenser, the support elements 36 are pushed into the carton to define a means for supporting the dispensing throat element 36. As the support elements 36 are pushed in, the pair of outlines 38, 39 free the upper portion of the support element 36 so that said upper portion may be displaced inwardly as the lower portion bends about the pair of fold lines 40, 41. Each support element 36 has a fold line 44 formed by the corner of the carton and this fold line 42 also bends as the support elements are pushed in. This configuration of the support elements 36 is such that they tend to remain in their pushed in position. However, as desired they may readily be pressed out again.

In accordance with the present invention, the pressed in support elements 36 are utilized to support the dispensing throat element 30 which may be. mounted on the outside of the carton, as in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, or in the inside of the carton as in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 11. Considering the first embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 7, it will be seen in FIG. 2 that the dispensing throat element 30 circumscribes the carton in the area of the pushed in support elements 36. The throat element 30 has a square configuration of three sides 45, 46, 47 integrally joined to one another at right angles and a fourth side consisting of two legs 48, 50- which are adapted to be temporarily separated from one another or to be detachably joined to one another. It will be apparent that by making the throat element 30 out of material (e.g. polystyrene) having inherent properties of flexibility, the detachable legs 48, 50 may be temporarily separated or opened up to permit the throat element 30 to be fitted or wrapped around the outside of the carton in this area of the support elements 36 and thereafter closed and secured in place, for example, by providing transverse slots 52, 54 in the legs 48, 50 respectively which mate with one another to lock the two legs together as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

Located at each right angled corner of the throat element 30 is a dispensing lug 56 which projects internally thereof. Each lug 56 is integrally joined to the bottom edges of the corners of the throat element 30 and extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the planes of the sides 45, 46, 47 and legs 48, 50. The lugs 56 may be formed integral with and be substantially the same thickness as the four sides of the throat element 30. The inner ends of the lugs 56 may have arcuate configuration as shown in the drawings. As can best be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the width of each lug 56 is substantially equal to the distance between the previously described junctures 42 and 43 on the carton support elements 36. Accordingly, the lugs 56 may be inserted into the openings made by the pushed in support elements 36 at the widest part of said openings, that is, in general alignment with the juncture points 42, 43. The throat element 30 will remain fixed in this longitudinal position because longitudinal displacement is precluded by the fact that the width of each lug 56 exceeds the width of any other part of each opening formed by the pushed in support elements 36.

The inner, terminal ends of diagonally opposed lugs 56 are spaced from one another a distance slightly less than the largest diameter of the brim B of a cup C which is to be dispensed. Accordingly, when the throat element 30 is mounted in place On the carton 20 with the legs 48, 50 locked together as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and with the lugs 56 projecting into the carton, the four lugs 56 will each engage the bottom of the brim B of the lowermost cup C, thereby to support the entire stack of cups within the carton. As previously indicated, the throat element 30 may be made of a material having inherent flexibility adapting said lugs 56 to flex momentarily to dispense the lowermost cup when the latter is pulled downwardly.

From the above description it will be apparent that the closed Shipping carton 20 shown in FIG. 1 may be converted into a dis ensing carton by pushing in the four support elements 36 and mounting the throat element 30 in place on the carton 20. The throat element 30 is mounted by initially separating the legs 48, 50 of the throat element and placing or wrapping the latter around the carton 20 in the area of the pushed in support elements 36 so that the lugs 56 are inserted into the openings in the corners of the carton made by the pushed in support elements 36. Once the support element 30 is in place, legs 48, 50 are then joined to one another by mating the slots 52, 54 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The lugs 56 will project into the carton 20 to engage the brim B of the lowermost cup C in the stack to support the entire stack. When the lowermost cup C is pulled downwardly, the lugs 56 will flex momentarily to release the lowermost cup C and immediately spring back to engage the next cup C in the line to maintain support for the entire stack.

In the embodiment in FIGS. 8-11, an alternate throat element 60 is utilized inside the same carton described in connection with the embodiment in FIGS. 1-7 so that the same reference numerals are used for both cartons. The throat element 60 consists of four side walls 62, 63, 64, and 65 integrally joined to one another at right angles. As in the case of the main embodiment, dispensing lugs 68 are located at each right angled corner and each such lug 68 is integrally joined to the bottom edges of the corners of the throat element 60. It is not deemed necessary to describe in detail the functional operation of the throat element 60 because it will be apparent that the lugs 68 serve to dispense individual cups in the same manner as the lugs 56 in the main embodiment.

The throat element 60 may be inserted inside the carton 20 without removing the cups C by opening the bottom closure flaps 26 and inserting the throat element 60 from the bottom with the four corners aligned with the four corner of the carton 20. The throat element 60 is inserted and moved inwardly of the carton past the lower portion of the bottom cup C and past the support elements 36 which have not as yet been pushed in. During insertion, the lugs 68 will engage the brim B of the lowermost cup C. After the throat element passes beyond the support elements 36, the latter are pushed in and the throat element 60 may be released. When the carton is vertically disposed in dispensing position as shown in FIG. 8, the throat element 60 will rest and be supported on the pushed in support elements 36. More particularly, the throat element 60 will engage the pushed in support elements 36 at the previously described juncture points 42, 43 which are the highest points of the pushed in support elements as can readily be seen in FIG. 11.

As may be desired, the throat elements 36 and 60 may be reused. It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of itsfmaterial advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A self-dispensing package for cups and the like having brims at their uppermost ends comprising:

a carton having a plurality of support means adapted to be pressed inwardly of the carton,

a dispensing throat element having side walls arranged in a configuration conforming generally to the transverse configuration of the carton,

said throat element having cup engaging means projecting laterally of said throat element side walls,

said throat element being supported on said carton by said support means in a disposition wherein said cup engaging means project laterally into the carton to engage said brims and dispense individual cups from the carton.

2. A self-dispensing package according to claim 1 wherein said throat element is mounted on the outside of said carton.

3. A self-dispensing package according to claim 1 wherein said throat element is mounted on the inside of said carton.

4. A self-dispensing package according to claim 1 wherein said throat element comprises four side walls located in planes disposed generally longitudinally of the carton and joined to one another at right angled corners,

said cup engaging means comprising lugs projecting inwardly from the corners in a plane substantially normal to said side walls.

5. A self-dispensing package according to claim 1 wherein said throat element has three side walls joined to one another at right angles and a fourth side wall consisting of two legs,

said legs being adapted to be temporarily separated to permit the throat element to be fitted around the outside of the carton.

6. A self-dispensing package according to claim 5 further comprising means for aflixing said legs to one another to secure the throat element in position around the outside of said carton,

7. A self-dispensing package according to claim 6 wherein said means for atfixing said legs to one another comprises transverse slots in each one of said legs adapted to mate with one another to lock said legs together.

8. A self-dispensing package according to claim 1 wherein openings formed in the sides of said carton when said support means are pressed inwardly,

said cup engaging means comprising lugs projecting through said openings.

9. A self-dispensing package according to claim 8 wherein said lugs have a width corresponding to the maximum width of the openings formed by said pressed in support elements.

10. A self-dispensing package according to claim 1 wherein said cup engaging means comprises lugs with the inner terminal ends of diagonally opposed lugs being spaced from one another a distance slightly less than the largest diameter of the brim of a cup which is to be dispensed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS STANLEY H, STQLLBERG. Primary Examiner 

